Brief description of the plot: The Jungle is one of the very few pieces of writing that contributed to openly changing a part of the world. However, Sinclair did not expect the novel to change American history by putting restrictions on the meat industry; instead, he wanted Americans to read this book and say, "Our society needs socialism." He wanted the readers to notice the extreme competition among "the workingmen of America" for the American dream. To give the book a sense of reality, Sinclair interviewed factory workers and did a lot of research. His information was so precise and so plentiful, and his book has never been criticized for misleading information. The Jungle is very different from many other books not only because it is about the working class, but the truth about them as well. His style of writing and the simple vocabulary makes Sinclair one of the most popular artists in the nation and beyond. Before Sinclair passed away in 1968, he was invited to the White House to watch President Johnson sign the Wholesome Meat Act of 1967.
Characters in the Chapter:
Upton Sinclair- author
Notable passages (including page number):
"A wheel had come full circle, but it was not necessarily the most important wheel." (xviii)
"The defining thing about Sinclair's people is that...Moloch that dominates their existence." (xiv)
"Sinclair's point is precisely that people...had freedom before the Civil War." (xiv)
"The more the characters are trapped by the system...its social and economic framework may be." (xiii)
"The Jungle is a protest novel...but also of unbridled economic savagery." (ix)
"He aimed not merely to commiserate with them...the urban landscape into a savage place, a jungle." (ix)
"Sinclair himself always insisted that people had misread...on its notoriety with all the wiles of a born publicist." (vi)
"...and contributed enormously to the...meat consumption for decades.)" (v)
Brief description of the plot:
The Jungle is one of the very few pieces of writing that contributed to openly changing a part of the world. However, Sinclair did not expect the novel to change American history by putting restrictions on the meat industry; instead, he wanted Americans to read this book and say, "Our society needs socialism." He wanted the readers to notice the extreme competition among "the workingmen of America" for the American dream. To give the book a sense of reality, Sinclair interviewed factory workers and did a lot of research. His information was so precise and so plentiful, and his book has never been criticized for misleading information. The Jungle is very different from many other books not only because it is about the working class, but the truth about them as well. His style of writing and the simple vocabulary makes Sinclair one of the most popular artists in the nation and beyond. Before Sinclair passed away in 1968, he was invited to the White House to watch President Johnson sign the Wholesome Meat Act of 1967.
Characters in the Chapter:
Upton Sinclair- author
Notable passages (including page number):
"A wheel had come full circle, but it was not necessarily the most important wheel." (xviii)
"The defining thing about Sinclair's people is that...Moloch that dominates their existence." (xiv)
"Sinclair's point is precisely that people...had freedom before the Civil War." (xiv)
"The more the characters are trapped by the system...its social and economic framework may be." (xiii)
"The Jungle is a protest novel...but also of unbridled economic savagery." (ix)
"He aimed not merely to commiserate with them...the urban landscape into a savage place, a jungle." (ix)
"Sinclair himself always insisted that people had misread...on its notoriety with all the wiles of a born publicist." (vi)
"...and contributed enormously to the...meat consumption for decades.)" (v)